Cancer cell fighter: the TR53 gene
NewsThe most famous fighter against tumor cells is the TR53 gene. Its product, the protein p53, regulates the transfer of genetic information from DNA to RNA.
This protein is also called the "guardian of the genome". This name was given to it due to the most important functions that it performs. In the case of DNA damage, the occurrence of various stress factors, etc. p53 is activated, which triggers various mechanisms, one of which is apoptosis – the process of programmed cell death.
However, the TR53 gene is often itself subject to mutations in various types of tumor cells. Mutations not only deprive the TR53 gene of its normal activity, but also some of them turn TR53 into an oncogene.
In the cells of more than half of all malignant neoplasms, mutations in the TP53 gene are detected. This can lead to unfavorable prognoses of the course of the disease, as well as complicate the selection of therapy.
The loss of the p53 protein by the tumor promotes the growth of nerve fibers in it. It is known that the nerve fibers that grow into the tumor contribute to its growth. However, it was not clear why this was happening.
In a study by American scientists, it was shown that the loss of p53 protein in tumor cells led to a change in neurons (the transformation of sensory neurons into an adrenergic phenotype, i.e., producing adrenaline) in the tumor microenvironment. This contributed to the growth of head and neck tumors in experiments on mouse models.
But drugs that block epinephrine receptors reduced the rate of tumor development. Thus, the new mechanism of interaction between cancer cells and neurons may become a promising target for the development of new antitumor agents. 
